PRACTICE AREAS

The attorneys of Dwyer & Coogan, P.C. possess decades of collective experience representing injured people. This is our Commitment. This is our focus. We believe that when someone is injured, they deserve to be listened to. And they deserve the dignity of experienced, thorough, and thoughtful legal representation. That is why we are committed to expending the time and effort necessary to evaluate your situation thoroughly and determine whether you may have a case. Our attorneys have extensive experience prosecuting cases of the following types

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Workers Compensation

WORKERS COMPENSATION

When you experience an injury at work, it can be confusing. You may be asked to fill out paperwork for your boss. You may begin to get calls from a claims adjuster. If you are fortunate and treated fairly, you will be given the opportunity to get medical attention immediately and your employer will take responsibility for paying for that treatment. But what are your rights? What is your employer supposed to do? When do you have to go back to work? What happens if you have to miss work for an extended period of time?

When bills start coming due, the rent or the mortgage payment comes up, you need to know that you can meet your obligations. Our attorneys will work to ensure that your employer (and their insurance carrier) meets their responsibilities. We can file your claim, deal with the insurance representatives, and explain your rights. We can also organize your medical records and prepare the case for trial if necessary. Work injury cases always seem to go smoothly until they don’t. Suddenly, the “adjuster” does not seem to be returning your calls. Your disability checks come later and later. Or you find out that your prescription is not being paid for. This is when you need an attorney with experience at the Workers’ Compensation Commission, who can answer questions and get you the benefits you are entitled to under the law.

Construction Site Injuries

CONSTRUCTION SITE INJURIES

Construction sites are dangerous places. There are large, mobile objects. Tools and supplies fall from great heights. There is live electricity, heat, debris, and other workers doing physical and dangerous things. Tradesmen know that when on site, a worker must keep his head on a swivel. However, some dangers cannot be protected against. Some injuries happen because the risk was veiled or due to someone else’s negligence.

The attorneys of Dwyer & Coogan, P.C. understand these risks. We’ve spoken to workers like you. We have represented them. We know the time pressures that you are under. But we also know the law that requires general and sub-contractors to act with reasonable care for safety on site. Debris is supposed to be cleared. Warnings are supposed to be placed around tripping hazards or live wires. Safety inspectors have important jobs to make sure these tasks are executed and that regular and constant attention is paid because conditions change rapidly and they change constantly. Our attorneys will investigate the rules and determine whether your injury is more than a work-injury, but also due to the negligence of others and work to secure justice for what you’ve suffered and lost.

Products Liabilities

PRODUCTS LIABILITIES

Our daily lives are filled with technologies and gadgets. From automobiles to power tools to furniture, the products that we buy and fill our offices, workshops, and homes with are vital in making our lives easier and allowing us to do our jobs more effectively. We trust that these products will work properly, and that they will not endanger the health and safety of ourselves and our loved ones.

When a medical device or electronic component fails, it can mean more than inconvenience and delay. It can result in catastrophic consequences. The failure of a knee or a hip implant can result in serious pain, additional surgeries, and massive medical expenses. When that happens, questions about what kind of product was used, whether scientists have researched the issues, and what can be done to investigate the case further are only the beginning. When a ladder collapses or a power tool malfunctions, those can cause serious injuries as well. All of these cases must be investigated by an attorney that understands the basic issues as well as the complicated engineering, medical, and scientific issues that will determine whether there is a case that can be made and how to build it with you.

Medical Negligence

MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE

Medical care is a necessary part of modern life in the United States. Americans live decades longer than they did only a couple of generations ago. The technology available to physicians to monitor, evaluate, and manage medical conditions multiplies and becomes more advanced every year. The technology available to surgeons to perform all manner of procedures throughout the human body has exploded with the advancement of computers and imaging technology. We are finding more problems with people’s health at different stages of disease and treating them in an ever-wider array of ways. This means that modern medicine is complex and can often be confusing and overwhelming for patients.

Even though more information about medicine is available to us, we still must place a great deal of trust in our doctors to offer safe treatment options, not to mention perform procedures responsibly when we are under anesthesia. When something seems to have gone wrong during medical care, it can be frightening and frustrating. Answers can be difficult to come by. Sometimes, turning to an attorney who can investigate the medical record and consult with an outside physician is the only way to get real answers. Our firm has represented many people injured as the result of medical errors throughout the years and has experience being able to understand the issues, explain them to you, and represent you when you make a claim.

Transportation Liability

TRANSPORTATION LIABILITY

TRUCKING – AUTOMOBILE – BICYCLE – BOAT – RAILROAD – BUS

Every single day, every single person that reads this web page will either take a ride in a car, truck, train, bicycle, bus, or will pass by one of those. We take these interactions for granted because they are common, everyday occurrences. And we accept that they are routine because these vehicles get us where we need to go–and get the things we need to where they need to be. However, these are all large, heavy and potentially dangerous machines. These are heavy pieces of transportation equipment that move fast. The combination of weight and speed means that they can cause very serious injuries when collisions and operator error occur.

When injuries occur as the result of negligent operation of a vehicle, a consultation with an attorney will be more beneficial when that attorney understands the issues that are unique to the particular type of vehicle involved in your case. Our attorneys have successfully litigated cases involving all manner of moving conveyance and can advise you of the kinds of issues that will arise in your case.

Premises Liability

PREMISES LIABILITY

The owners of land and the managers of land such as malls, walkways, stores, housing complexes, public spaces, and other places where you can legally be have an obligation to maintain those surfaces in a safe manner. Falls can cause serious injuries. And when you experience a slip or trip that causes you to fall, the injuries that result may have been caused by negligence on the part of the parties responsible for the condition of the property.

It is vital in such a case to investigate the condition of the property to determine whether or not there is a defect that led to the injuries, as well as determining the identity of the responsible parties. If you have experienced such an incident, the first step to take once you have sought medical treatment is to discuss what happened with lawyers with experience with these unique investigations who can provide a game plan and provide answers.

Catastrophic Injuries

CATASTROPHIC INJURIES

Sometimes when a terrible accident occurs, it is not clear right away what kind of injury it might be. It may not feel like the incident that occurred falls neatly within the framework that most lawyers use, i.e.: “is it a work injury, a car crash, a medical case,” and so on…

At Dwyer & Coogan, P.C., we feel that part of our commitment to our clients and even potential clients is to keep an open mind. We want to know what happened. We believe that the primary purpose for our work here at the firm is to obtain justice for our clients. Sometimes that means going the extra mile to try to understand what happened, try to determine how and why it happened, and explain what that means to you about whether there might be a case. Injuries happen suddenly and can change your entire life–as well as the lives of those around you. When a serious injury occurs, especially when there might not be clear explanations about the “how” and the “why,” that is when it is most critical to be able to speak with attorneys who have the experience necessary to investigate those questions and provide you with answers. Whether it might be an incident with an animal, an injury caused by a failure to provide adequate crowd control, or even questions about potential deprivations of your civil rights, our attorneys welcome the opportunity to consult with you and discuss the law and your options.

Wrongful Death

WRONGFUL DEATH

Loss is perhaps the most difficult human emotion to process. Losing a loved one means that the lives of those left behind are forever changed. However, this can all be even more painful and difficult when the loss may have been preventable. When a car crash, truck accident, medical error, or other event causes fatal injury, the pain and grief can be unbearable. When those things happen, the questions seem endless: from insurance issues, to property questions, to issues with the Probate court. It is important to get clear, useful answers during such difficult times and dealing with attorneys experienced with such situations is critical.

Our attorneys have counseled clients dealing with the loss of a loved one. Nothing will replace the time you have lost with someone important to you. But you deserve the opportunity to see justice done when the loss was the result of the wrongful acts of another.

Claims Denial

CLAIMS DENIAL

When you buy insurance, you believe that you are entering into an agreement that binds both you and the insurance company. Your job is to pay your premiums and report claims in a timely fashion. The insurance company’s job is to investigate the claim fairly and pay your benefits in a timely fashion.

But that is not always what happens. Insurance companies seems to have all the power, and that is because they do. They have the money (you already paid the premiums) and they have the big corporation, the lawyers, and the rule book. What can you do when your claim has been denied and it is unclear why it has happened?

You can talk to a lawyer. You have the right to investigate the basis for your claim denial. You have the right to get answers from the Insurance company about what they have done to evaluate your claim and you have the right to file a lawsuit if the answers are still unclear. Illinois law also provides that, if you can prove that the Insurance company has breached your agreement in “bad faith,” you can recover additional money for attorney’s fees. Call our attorneys for a consultation to discuss your situation and your options.